


party princess

by wakandawinterprincess



Category: Black Panther (2018), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, idk when in canon this would be but :shrug:, platonic interactions, pre-relationship vibes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:40:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28121757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wakandawinterprincess/pseuds/wakandawinterprincess
Summary: Bucky and Shuri go undercover.No angst, just fluff. Platonic, pre-relationship vibes (with some light ~simmer~).
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Shuri, James "Bucky" Barnes/Shuri
Comments: 14
Kudos: 28





	party princess

**Author's Note:**

> Rushed, un-betaed, barely edited. Apologies for any errors. ~Recent events~ have put me off the ship a bit but wanted to publish since it's been a minute. This is a scribble of a story, but here ya go.

Bucky sweeps into Shuri’s lab. Usually, he leaves her alone during working hours. But he needs to confirm if what he’s heard from T’Challa is  _ actually _ true -- 

“You and me? Undercover, at a fancy gala? Sounds like a recipe for  _ disaster _ , princess.”

“Oh  _ please _ , Barnes.” Shuri doesn’t even look up from her work. “It’s not gonna be  _ that _ bad, I promise.”

She finishes soldering the piece she's working on -- a delicate, precise thing -- before she turns and meets him with a cheeky grin.

_ “Besides _ … I’ve been wanting an excuse to drag you to a party, get you all cleaned up. Let’s see if there’s any hope for you still.”

“Very funny.”

“I  _ do _ think I’m quite hilarious.” she agrees, tossing him a grin. “Glad you think the same.”

Bucky sighs. He knows he’s defeated.

“Fine. When and where do I need to meet you?”

* * *

“ _ Ingucka _ , if you’re going to be my date, you have to  _ look _ the part.”

They’re on their fifth suit now, and Bucky is about to lose his  _ mind _ . 

“Technically, I’m just your security detail,” he corrects her, but she ignores him.

“Whatever. Go, try this on. I picked this one out. Please?” She tosses one last suit at him.

He eyes the outfit she’s picked warily. It’s quite nice, actually -- simpler than the other outfits the palace staff had left for him to try on, anyways. The cut is clean, and the subtle gold trim on the black fabric mimics the design of his vibranium arm nicely.

Damn. He hates that he actually likes this one, sort of.

He tries it on, and sure enough -- the suit fits exactly as he’d thought it would.  _ Better _ , even.

Bucky comes out of the dressing room. Wonders, offhandedly, if he imagines the flirty glimmer in her eye as she gives him a once-over.

“Very nice,  _ Ingcuka _ .” she murmurs, shooting him a grin. “I  _ knew _ you weren’t totally hopeless.”

* * *

That she looks stunning is unspoken. 

Mercifully, she picks a dress that isn’t all too revealing. Bucky knows that he’d be in for a much tougher night if she had -- not just because of his job batting away attention, but also because he’d have a tough time keeping his eyes off her.

He doesn't want to get busted for ogling the princess, thank you very much. That's simply a level of excitement that he doesn't need in his life anymore. 

“Hi, handsome.” She leans up, kisses him on the cheek, and he notes that she smells faintly of sandalwood and musk.  “Let’s get this show on the road.”

He smiles. Offers her his arm. 

"After you."

* * *

“Do you  _ have _ to drink all that champagne? That’s got to be your sixth glass, princess.”

“I’m just… very committed to my cover.  _ Obviously _ .”

She winks at him from across the room, where she’s getting her refill.

Bucky sighs. She’s had a long week, and her brother isn’t here to admonish them, so he’ll let it pass. For now.

“You’re  _ lucky _ I’m your driver tonight.”

Shuri makes her way back to him, then, smirking the whole way there.

“Designated driver, personal security detail… I’m quite a  _ lucky _ girl, huh?” 

(She waggles her eyebrows and bats her lashes at him for added comedic effect.)

He takes a sip of his seltzer and ignores her attempts to make him break his cover.

“You flatter me endlessly, princess.”

“Oh,  _ please _ .” She leans in conspiratorially, and there’s a tinge of  _ real _ excitement to her next words -- 

“That woman across from us, in the blue dress, has been staring daggers at me for the last ten minutes.”

For a moment, Bucky panics.

“ _ Why _ ? Did she recognize you?”

Shuri rolls her eyes.

“No. It’s because she thinks you’re  _ hot _ , moron. And she’s annoyed that  _ I’m _ taking up all your attention.”

A pause, and then Shuri adds -- 

“Want me to get you her contact info later? We can do that, you know.”

Given what he knows about the reach of Wakandan tech, he’s not surprised. But he still hesitates.

And he doesn’t know. Doesn’t know how to tell her that he's not interested in getting this woman's info. Hasn't been interested in getting  _ anyone's _ info, for a while now. 

But that’s a level of  _ complicated _ she doesn’t need to know about. So he lies, instead.

“Blondes aren’t really my type.”

Shuri squints. 

“I’ve seen your memories.  _ Sure _ .”

But she lets it go. And for now, that's enough. 


End file.
